Imaging apparatus and imaging method

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes a circuitry configured to perform depth analysis of a scene by time-of-flight imaging and to perform motion analysis in the scene by structured light imaging, wherein identical sensor data is used for both, the depth analysis and the motion analysis.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
 circuitry configured to perform depth analysis of a scene by time-of-flight imaging and to perform motion analysis in the scene by structured light imaging, wherein:
 identical sensor data is used for both the depth analysis and the motion analysis, 
 the sensor data comprises at least one frame including subframes, and 
 the imaging apparatus is configured to detect motion information as a part of performing the motion analysis, the detection of motion information being based on a disparity field generated for each of the subframes. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor data is provided by a time-of-flight sensor based on a light pattern projected onto the scene by a projection device, which is received by the time-of-flight sensor as a reflected light pattern. 
     
     
       3. The imaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the light pattern projected by the projection device to the scene is a light spot pattern. 
     
     
       4. The imaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a pattern of structured light for the motion analysis is a same pattern as the light pattern for the time-of-flight imaging. 
     
     
       5. The imaging apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the disparity field is generated for each light point of the light pattern and is indicative of a distance between an expected light point position and a measured light point position or is indicative of whether said distance is larger than a threshold value. 
     
     
       6. The imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to correct a result of the depth analysis based on a result of the motion analysis. 
     
     
       7. The imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to construct a depth map using the subframes and the detected motion information. 
     
     
       8. The imaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus is a mobile phone, a tablet, a smart watch, smart glasses, a head mounted display, a camera or a laptop. 
     
     
       9. An imaging method, comprising:
 performing depth analysis of a scene by time-of-flight imaging; 
 performing motion analysis in the scene by structured light imaging, the motion analysis including detecting motion information, wherein:
 the sensor data comprises at least one frame including subframes, 
 detecting the motion information is performed based on a disparity field generated for each of the subframes, and 
 identical sensor data is used for both the depth analysis and the motion analysis. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The imaging method of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor data is provided by a time-of-flight sensor based on a light pattern projected onto the scene by a projection device, which is received by the time-of-flight sensor as a reflected light pattern. 
     
     
       11. The imaging method of  claim 10 , wherein the light pattern projected by the projection device to the scene is a light spot pattern. 
     
     
       12. The imaging method of  claim 10 , wherein a pattern of structured light for the motion analysis is a same pattern as the light pattern for the time-of-flight imaging. 
     
     
       13. The imaging method of  claim 10 , wherein the disparity field is generated for each light point of the light pattern and is indicative of a distance between an expected light point position and a measured light point position or is indicative of whether said distance is larger than a threshold value. 
     
     
       14. The imaging method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 correcting a result of the depth analysis based on a result of the motion analysis. 
 
     
     
       15. The imaging method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 constructing a depth map using the subframes and the detected motion information.